Simple clay tiles, which can be just dried hard or fired. Forms range from anything round to square. The clay is pressed into wooden molds with figures of Buddhist deities. This way, a lot of figures could be produced.Sometimes they were covered with laquer or godl foil later.

They made their way from India via China to Japan in the 7th century.

These tiles could be used to decorate the interior of a temple. Sometimes they were put into the private altar of a family for daily reverence.

Here is a figure I bought many years ago in India.

In Bodhgaya a young boy came along with this figure, approaching the Japanese tourists saying "This very old, hyaku doru, hyaku doru!" Next he came to us and wanted "Hundred dollars please". I told him: "I am sure your brother made this outside the village, it is worth nothing. I will give you one dollar!""Oh, thank you, here you are!" He handed me the statue and I had to pay him.It now graces my bookshelf to remind me of the foolishness of mankind!

..... ..... .....

This one is from a Chinese temple, this time cheap to start with.

..... ..... .....

A small face of Ebisu, the God of Good Luck. Sold in a Japanese temple.

Barely recognizable, Buddha seated below the Bodai Tree in Meditation. Above the seated statue ther was a large baldachin (tengai).The form was found near the temples Tachibanadera and Kawaharadera in Nara prefecture.